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Summary:Dr. Faraday (Domhnall Gleeson), the son of a housemaid, has built a life of quiet respectability as a country doctor. During the long hot summer of 1948, he is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall, where his mother once worked. The Hall has been home to the Ayres family for more than two centuries. But it is now in decline and itsDr. Faraday (Domhnall Gleeson), the son of a housemaid, has built a life of quiet respectability as a country doctor. During the long hot summer of 1948, he is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall, where his mother once worked. The Hall has been home to the Ayres family for more than two centuries. But it is now in decline and its inhabitants - mother, son and daughter - are haunted by something more ominous than a dying way of life. When he takes on his new patient, Faraday has no idea how closely, and how disturbingly, the family’s story is about to become entwined with his own.…Expand

Definitely this is not a traditional horror film and it’s not even a traditional ghost story. I won’t tell you what it is really about because it will ruin the film for you, but be warned that there are no traditional horror film “scare” tactics. However, the film is excellent, and muchDefinitely this is not a traditional horror film and it’s not even a traditional ghost story. I won’t tell you what it is really about because it will ruin the film for you, but be warned that there are no traditional horror film “scare” tactics. However, the film is excellent, and much better than a lot of cliché-filled “scary movies,” and the horror is even less overt than in, for example, Robert Wise’s wonderful film of Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House” with Julie Harris and Claire Bloom. The actors here, especially Charlotte Rampling, Ruth Wilson, and Domhnall Gleeson, are all excellent and so is Lenny Abrahamson’s direction. It helps to read the book by Sarah Waters, which I did, and I liked both the film and the book equally.…Expand

A slow psychological film that I became more and more immersed in. The performances are all strong but shout out to Ruth Wilson who I feel was the heart beat of the film. Director Lenny Abrahamson sets the tone and it worked with me. Overall a low 8 an A-.

This is the summer movie I've been patiently waiting for. I loved most everything about this film: its slow building moodiness and ominous sense that something awful could be present. It doesn't spoon feed you and is unsettling in the most rewarding way; it plays with your imagination. IThis is the summer movie I've been patiently waiting for. I loved most everything about this film: its slow building moodiness and ominous sense that something awful could be present. It doesn't spoon feed you and is unsettling in the most rewarding way; it plays with your imagination. I loved disciplined performances in this film. I think it's the kind of movie that sets itself up for criticism by being too nuanced. It sucks you into its world of class consciousness and dread. I had a lot of fun with this film and feel that it deserves a little more applause. Lenny Abrahamson is fast becoming one of my favourite storytellers.…Expand

I remember when I first saw Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice (which I loved), a colleague of mine (who hated it) was unable to grasp why I had enjoyed it so much. I tried to explain that if he had read Thomas Pynchon's novel, he'd have appreciated the film a lot more, to which heI remember when I first saw Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice (which I loved), a colleague of mine (who hated it) was unable to grasp why I had enjoyed it so much. I tried to explain that if he had read Thomas Pynchon's novel, he'd have appreciated the film a lot more, to which he posited, "one shouldn't have to read the book in order to appreciate the film." So imagine my chagrin when I watched the decidedly underwhelming The Little Stranger, a huge box office bomb, and easily the weakest film in director Lenny Abrahamson's oeuvre. You see, I really disliked it, but the few people I know who have read Sarah Waters's novel (which I have not), have universally loved it, telling me I would have liked it a lot more if I was familiar with the source material. To them, I can say only this – "one shouldn't have to read the book in order to appreciate the film."

Aspiring to blend elements of "big house"-based mystery narratives such as Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, and Rebecca, with more gothic-infused ghost stories such as "The Fall of the House of Usher", The Turn of the Screw, and The Haunting of Hill House, The Little Stranger is not especially interested in the supernatural aspects of the story. In this sense, Abrahamson and screenwriter Lucinda Coxon have, to a certain extent, created an anti-ghost story which eschews virtually every trope of the genre. Waters herself has stated the novel is not a ghost story. Instead, she was interested in the rise of socialism in England, and how the fading nobility was dealing with the decline in their power.

With this in mind, the main theme of the film is Faraday's attempts to ingratiate himself with the Ayers family, even when doing so goes against his medical training; his commitment to his own upward mobility is far stronger than his commitment to the Hippocratic Oath. He is immediately dismissive of the possibility of any supernatural agency, and, far more morally repugnant, he does everything he can to convince those who believe the house is haunted that they are losing their minds.

However, for me, virtually nothing about the film worked. Yes, it is more interested in playing with our notions of what a ghost story can be, subverting and outright rebelling against the tropes of the genre. I understand what Abrahamson was trying to do, however, so too does The Little Stranger shun the standard alternative to jump scares – creeping existential dread – and as a result, it remains all very subtle, and all very, very boring – the non-supernatural parts of the story give us nothing we haven't seen before, and the supernatural parts simply fall flat.

One of the main issues for me is Faraday's emotional detachment. I get that he's the ostensible villain, so we're not meant to empathise with him, and, as an unreliable narrator, his very role is to objectively undermine the subjective realism of the piece. However, he practically sleepwalks his way through the entire film, getting excited or upset about (almost) nothing. Firstly, we've seen Gleeson play this character before – all brittle, buttoned-down intellectualism – and secondly, he comes across as more robotic than detached, and after twenty minutes, I was thoroughly bored of him, and just stopped caring.

Partly because of this, and partly because of Coxon's repetitive script, the film is just insanely and unrelentingly dull. Now, I don't mind films in which nothing dramatic happens, but in The Little Stranger nothing whatsoever happens, dramatic or otherwise. Instead, the script just goes round and round, through the motions. The pacing is absolutely torturous, and I certainly envy anyone who was able to get more out of the narrative than the opportunity to take a nap.

One thing I will praise unreservedly is the sound design. Foregrounded multiple times, this aspect of the film often becomes more important than the visuals. For example, sound edits often bridge picture edits in both directions (L Cuts and J Cuts). Similarly, we repeatedly experience the sound of one scene carrying over into the image of another well beyond the edit itself, so much so that it becomes a motif. Perhaps the most interesting scene from an aural perspective is the scene in the nursery near the end of the film. As Angela examines the room, the distorted and difficult to identify sound becomes unrelenting. However, as the other characters run through the house towards the noise, all sound is pulled out almost entirely, with only the barest hint of footfalls detectable. This is extremely jarring and extremely effective.

However, beyond that, this just did nothing for me; there was nothing I could get my teeth into, I didn't care about any of the characters beyond the first half hour, the social commentary was insipid and said nothing of interest, the supernatural aspects are so underplayed as to be virtually invisible, and, most unforgivably, the film is terminally boring.…Expand

I recently gave out about a certain horror movie that was loud, over the top and in your face it became boring so in a way I think I deserved this. The Little Stranger is extremely subtle and dull I've never had to try so hard to fight off sleep during a movie.

Doctor Faraday (DomhnallI recently gave out about a certain horror movie that was loud, over the top and in your face it became boring so in a way I think I deserved this. The Little Stranger is extremely subtle and dull I've never had to try so hard to fight off sleep during a movie.

Doctor Faraday (Domhnall Gleeson) pays a visit to the incredibly creepy and deteriorating Ayres mansion, a house that he remembers from his childhood and soon gets to know the people still left in it. Although the rest of the community seems reluctant to have any dealings with the Ayres, Faraday is drawn to them. Yet the more time he spends there he more he starts to realise that things may not be quite what they seem. The house has become neglected, run down and the family living there appear to be haunted by something unknown. I wasn't invested in the story and I felt there was too little happening. The character development seemed forgotten and the entire time I was waiting for something to happen only to have nothing happen. It's incredibly atmospheric and builds the increasing sense of dread that other horror movies fail miserably at but with no payoff. I really felt like I wasted my time on this one. Yet I'm just one opinion, you may feel differently so The Little Stranger is recommended for the Domhnall Gleeson/Lenny Abrahamson fans. Although be sure to hurry up and catch this one because it won't be in the cinemas much longer. Two stars for Will Poulter's performance because he was the only character I was interested in and there wasn't enough of him.…Expand

This film is about a British doctor, who comes from a poor family, in post-World War II England, who befriends a financially troubled aristocratic family whose house may be haunted.

I deeply regret seeing this. The trailer does a good job of tricking you into thinking this is something itThis film is about a British doctor, who comes from a poor family, in post-World War II England, who befriends a financially troubled aristocratic family whose house may be haunted.

I deeply regret seeing this. The trailer does a good job of tricking you into thinking this is something it is not. Sad thing is I'd looked at reviews for the original book this was based on and was aware this was supposed to be more psychological than a straight-up ghost story. Yet, I was still unprepared for the content. Although the movie starts out well enough, it becomes a terribly slow affair. Once the characters' motivations and personalities are revealed, the whole thing is a slog of repetitive chraracter traits and awkwardness by and/or between characters. Events are telegraphed way, way ahead of time. It doesn't help that this movie is as depressing and morose as all get out. That's not to say that I'm anti-depressing films in general. There are some really good ones out there (i.e. Grave of the Fireflies). This, however, doesn't have much to justify its existence.

To its credit, visually it is competently directed. The dilapidated old house looks quite good. The acting is all top-notch as well.

I haven't left a movie in such a bitter mood in a long, long time. I advise you to avoid this.…Expand

The last movie from director Lenny Abrahamson was "Room," which won him an Oscar. This follow-up is a dreary, tedious snoozer. Domhnall Gleeson plays a young doctor, who visits a patient at a great countryside estate. While he becomes entwined with the members of the family, we keepThe last movie from director Lenny Abrahamson was "Room," which won him an Oscar. This follow-up is a dreary, tedious snoozer. Domhnall Gleeson plays a young doctor, who visits a patient at a great countryside estate. While he becomes entwined with the members of the family, we keep expecting suspense to develop…or even an interesting surprise. There are suggestions of a specter from the past, but the haunting remnants are ineffectual. In the 111-minute running time, almost nothing happens and it happens without skill or suspense.…Expand